The Other Side
by otaku6652
Summary: On one side lived the wealthy in big houses, while the poor scrambled in shacks on the other. They never interacted or left their side. Len didn't think much of the people there, until he saved that girl.
1. Two sides

Separated by a large fence, the two wildly contradicting communities lived just across the road from each other but isolated at the same time. The right side was lined with luxury cars and towering mansions in stark contrast to the _very_ modest homes on the left. No one crossed the fence and everyone minded their own business on their respective sides.

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Sighing, Len Akita fumbled with his cheap alarm clock and whacked it until the thing shut up. He changed into his plain, blue and white school uniform and headed down the hall to the bathroom.

After running a comb through his blond hair and brushing his teeth, he went into the living room, which was connected to a small kitchen and breakfast nook.

Grabbing a piece of toast, Len swung his used backpack over his shoulder and slipped on his battered sneakers.

"I'm off to school!" He called.

His older step-sister Neru managed a half-hearted wave while tapping away on her new phone. Oliver, Neru's younger brother, cheerfully shouted "Bye!" and shoveled some more eggs into his mouth. All three of them had them same yellow hair, though Neru and Oliver had gold eyes while Len had aquamarine ones.

Their mother, Lily, worked as a waitress and occasionally resorted to some *ahem* sexual service when money got too tight, resulting in her three children. She had already left an hour ago and set out some breakfast for the kids.

Len turned a corner and met his best friend Gumi at her house, they proceeded to walk to school together. They had been inseparable since they starred in a school play about cats in middle school, and Len admitted that he had a bit of a crush on her then which died down after opening night.

There was only one run down high school, Heibon High, in their neighborhood, so it was slightly over crowded. This meant that the different grades were sometimes mixed into one class, and in their case it was music class.

Len was known around the school for his singing voice and talent at guitar, and Gumi likewise was an amazing singer. The music teacher had immediately placed them in the advanced group with upper classmen.

After four long and extremely boring periods, he eagerly went to the cafeteria for lunch. Len bought banana bread with some pocket money he saved up and took a seat at the table near the window next to his friends Gumi, Meiko, and Gakupo. Bananas were his favorite food and they were extremely cheap, so he could always afford them.

"Look, look, there she is!" Gakupo excitedly pointed at the window and practically squished his face up against the glass to get a better look. The courtyard of the high school on the other side could be seen from that particular window at the right angle.

"Who?" Gumi asked.

"My future wife." Gakupo sighed.

Len rolled his eyes. "You don't even know her name. Besides, she's on the OTHER side. You know, where a bunch of stuck up and snotty rich people turn up their noses at the sight of dirt and poverty then go back to eating caviar in a pure gold chair. "

"Love doesn't require that much information and I think the distance just makes it more romantic. Just look at that long, soft pink hair and big blue eyes and those CURVES. A beauty like that deserves only yours truly." He squealed. As captain of the kendo team and quite handsome, Gakupo was popular and well-liked by the girls. Though once you got to know him, he could be goofy and energetic.

"Oh shut up, I have a fucking headache. And don't waste your time on people over there." Meiko grumbled. Her father worked at a local casino and she picked up a few of his drinking habits, getting her in trouble many times with the principal.

"Another hangover? I think you should cut back on the tequila a little." Gumi laughed.

"Hmph."

* * *

Rin Kagamine was awoken by the maid as she opened the heavy curtains and let sunlight stream into her large room. The butler came in with a platter of breakfast and her neatly ironed, fancy red and black school uniform.

"Good morning, Miss. Did you sleep well?" He politely asked while setting them on the bed by her.

"Thank you, I slept just fine. Please take your leave once I finish eating so that I may get dressed." She cordially replied.

Rin daintily ate her muffin and tea and took her time with the short black skirt and carefully buttoned her red blazer. She then tied on her signature white bow on her flaxen hair and pushed open the ornate wooden door to her room, walking down the spiraling staircase down to the first floor.

A group of servants came over with her nice leather book bag and polished shoes. Leon, her father, waved goodbye from the grand dining room while her step-mother Lola gave her two air kisses.

She got into one of their several limousines and a personal chauffeur drove her to Yutaka Academy, the best high school in the city.

Her best friend Miku and her twin brother Mikuo were already there, waiting for her. Miku's boyfriend Kaito arrived a couple minutes later in his Mercedes-Benz munching on an ice cream cone.

Upon seeing him, Miku ran over and linked her arm through his.

"How many times have I told you to stop eating so much ice cream?! You are going to get like, diabetes, or worse, fat!" Miku screeched.

"S-Sorry!" Kaito took one last slurp and sorrowfully dumped the rest of the sweet dessert into a nearby trash can. Mikuo chuckled as the pair waltzed off, completely forgetting about him and Rin. They started going out at the beginning of the year, when Miku admitted her feelings to him with a beet red face. Kaito happily agreed and pranced around in joy for the rest of the day.

"Come on, I'll walk you to class." Mikuo smiled at Rin and led her into the building with his hand on her back. He had been rather fond of the petite girl ever since his sister introduced her years ago, always wavering between brotherly and romantic feelings towards her.

During lunch, the four met up with their friend Luka in the courtyard. Today was Luka's turn to treat them; one of her servants rolled in a cart filled with fish, particularly tuna. As a kind gesture she threw in some leeks for the twins, ice cream for Kaito, and oranges for Rin.

"I swear to god there is a purple haired guy staring at us from that building over there." Mikuo said while pointing to Heibon High.

"Mikuo! That place is on the other side, why are you even looking there?" Miku snapped, lightly whacking him with a leek.

"Leave him alone, sometimes I glance over there too." Rin defended Mikuo, peeling an orange.

"But why? It's only going to make you feel sorry for those people when in reality there is nothing you can do to help." Luka reasoned.

"I don't feel sorry for them. It makes me feel better about my life in comparison to those dirty beggars." Miku said. They all stared at her. "What?"

"That's mean, Miku." Rin muttered softly, "It makes me grateful for everything I've been blessed with but I have never once considered them as dirty or begging."

"Come on, guys. Let's lighten up the mood a little. Did I ever tell you guys about the time I accidently got on the wrong yacht and spent an hour wondering what all those strangers were doing there before getting thrown out?" Kaito added.

"Goodness, I think that was our uncle's. He hosted a dinner party there and was telling us about some daft stranger wandering around eating all the ice cream." Mikuo pondered.

_BRIIIING!_

The bell signaled the end of lunch and the students quickly scattered to their fifth periods. Rin couldn't keep her mind off their conversation. _Feel sorry for those people. Dirty beggars._ Just what did the people here think of them?

Once school was over, Rin hopped into the limo and stared out the window. A faint barking sound alerted her ears and she rolled down the window to see where it was coming from. On the other side of the fence, a small white Chihuahua with a diamond studded collar ran around.

Realization dawned on her that it was her neighbor's pet that must have accidently ran under the bars of the fence. She stopped the car and cautiously stepped out. Rin went over to the fence and crouched down, the dog was only a few feet away.

"Come here, puppy." She called, but the dog smelt something in the air and ran off. _Crap._ Rin's neighbor treasured that dog like a precious child, she was sure that the old lady would freak and hire a police search squad if it went missing.

Grumbling, Rin looked around and slowly climbed up the metal bars. She agilely jumped over and chased the little wagging ball of fur through the streets. With a sudden thought, Rin came to a halt near a shabby shop.

What on earth was she doing, going after some pet that wasn't even hers? What if she got lost? So her neighbor would go crazy, it wasn't worth all this trouble. Shaking her head, Rin turned to leave only to be blocked by a beefy arm.

"Well hey there, pretty girl. What are you doing here?" A tall, burly man cruelly grinned and roughly grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Hey, let me go!" Rin screamed.

"That uniform…it ain't like the ones at the school here. You're from the other side, aren't you?!" His smile grew wider.

"U-Um…" She feebly whispered. Her body shook with fear and her heart began to race. _Someone help, please!_

* * *

"Finally, I was about to die in Algebra!" Len exclaimed as the final bell rang, leaping out the door with Gumi.

"Sorry Len, but I have to go make up a test in History. You'll have to go on home without me." She said apologetically.

"It's fine, I was planning on stopping by the convenience store anyways. I have to pick up some batteries." He replied, and folded his hands over his head and headed on by himself.

The worn down shop soon came into view, as did two figures in the alley way beside it. Len was about to enter when he heard a girl struggling and crying out. He rushed over to help and saw a beefy man pinning a girl about his age against the wall.

"What are doing?!" Len acted on instinct and leapt up, sending a flying kick straight into the guy's ribs. When he bent over in pain, Len punched his face with all his strength and knocked him to the ground.

"Are you okay?" He went over to the girl and checked for injuries, trying not to look like he was checking her out.

"Y-Yeah, thank you so much." Her sapphire eyes wide with shock bore into him and Len felt a blush creeping onto his face. The girl was a few inches shorter than him, thin, and pale, giving off a fragile and doll-like appearance.

He cleared his throat, "A-Anyways, what are you doing here? That uniform belongs to the other school."

"Er...just some stupid reason. I need to get back now, but really thank you for saving me." She answered.

"Well let me walk you in case you get lost or attacked again." Len managed a smile and navigated them back to the fence, "My name's Len, by the way."

"I'm Rin. It was nice meeting you, Len." Rin surprised him by giving him a kiss on the cheek and climbed back over.

"Back at you…" Len touched the spot on his cheek and stood there for a short while before heading home.

* * *

A/N: Heibon in Japanese means mediocre or common, while Yutaka means rich. I guess this is a little too clichéd, but I want to try this idea out.


	2. A date

Gumi ran through the streets as fast as she could, fighting back her tears. She skidded to a stop outside of a tiny, one story house with a small sign on the fence that read "Akita Residence". After three loud knocks, a young blond boy answered the door.

"Oh hello, Gumi. Are you okay? I'll get Len." Oliver cupped a hand over his mouth and called out, "Len! Gumi's here to see you!" Soft footsteps could be heard and Len shooed his brother away before leaning against the door frame.

"What's up?" He inquired.

"It's my aunt, she randomly collapsed and the doctor found some weird lump on her kidney and he doesn't know what it is yet. They're sending her to some fancy hospital over in another town and I'm scared. Please come with me Len, I don't want to wait alone!" Gumi clasped her hands together and looked pleadingly at him.

"Another town?" Len wanted to accompany her, but it seemed a bit far away.

"Please, she's the only family member I have left other than…" Her voice trailed off, but they both knew who she was referring too.

"Alright." With a clear resolution, Len pulled on his jacket and followed her outside. An ambulance could be seen on the corner by her house and they hopped in at the last minute before it took off. As the gates to the other side of the fence opened, the vehicle drove in and they could immediately see the difference in status.

Not a single building there could be considered small, not a single dollar store or fast food joint, only designer brands and five star restaurants. The hospital in their area seemed like a mere medical tent compared to the massive, modern and polished building with a solid gold caduceus statue in the front driveway.

The woman was taken to the fourth floor after a brief consultation with the hospital staff, and Gumi and Len were sent to wait outside in the waiting room. Len looked over at his friend, who was clutching her skirt tightly and keeping her head bowed down in an effort to hide the tears spilling onto her cheeks.

He awkwardly cleared his throat and asked, "Er…do want something to drink or read? They have like everything here, or maybe some TV? What do you want me to do?"

Gumi raised her head and fell forward onto his chest, surprising him. "Just hug me a little please and let me stay here for a while."

Len was still with shock for a moment before his eyes softened and he gently patted the girl's back, a friend was a friend and he had to be there for her. The minutes ticked by and he found himself examining her soft green hair and emerald eyes. He had fallen for those eyes years ago and used to heavily blush when staring into them, now he only felt kindness and friendship towards his little sidekick.

After around an hour or two, a middle-aged man with brown hair and glasses emerged in a lab coat. He walked up to the two of them and patiently waited for them to notice him before speaking.

"Hello, are you Miss Megpoid?" He asked.

Gumi rubbed her watering eyes and sniffled. "Yes, are you my aunt's doctor?"

"Yes, my name is Dr. Kiyoteru. I had free time before my next patient and I thought I would examine the woman. The good news is that Ms. Sonika has only a decent sized cyst, though it will require some surgery. She collapsed from a bad mixture of prescription drugs and coffee. But don't worry, we are highly skilled professionals here and I expect a full recovery soon." Kiyoteru replied.

"Oh thank god! I was so worried!" Gumi smiled in relief, "Can I go see her?"

"Go ahead, she's in room 4-26. Would your friend like to come too?" Kiyoteru responded.

"You go on, I'll stay here." Len said, and watched as Gumi bounded off eagerly.

"Well would you look at that, my next patient is here. What perfect timing." Kiyoteru mused. Len snuck a glance at the incoming person and felt his eyes slowly widen. A thin girl with golden hair and deep blue eyes walked in and her large white bow flapped like rabbit ears in the breeze.

"Len? What are you doing here?" She questioned.

"Oh um…long story, one of my friends is here. Didn't think this would be the next place I would meet you." Len flashed her a crooked smile and attempted to pat down his ruffled hair a little. All of a sudden he was wildly conscious about his clothes, which were slightly soaked in Gumi's tears and wrinkled, and his appearance, he hadn't even brushed his teeth yet.

"Well Rin needs to come with me, but seeing as though you two have some catching up, why don't you come along as well?" Kiyoteru picked up on the atmosphere and inwardly grinned.

"Oh, um, alright." Len felt nervousness bubble up inside his and quickly stood up, trailing after the doctor and the girl. He caught up to her in a few strides and tried his best not to stare, Rin was out of her school uniform and was wearing a pretty white sundress paired with a pink cardigan. She had a warm and ethereal glow that melted his insides a bit, similar to a delicate angel.

"S-So what are you here for?" Len beat down his nervousness and attempted casual conversation.

"I'm here to get my medication and a quick check up to make sure everything is alright." Rin said it as coolly as possible, hoping he wouldn't probe the matter much further.

"Cool." He answered, not knowing what else to say. Kiyoteru ran some pretty basic tests, such as checking her heartbeat and tapping her knee with a rubber hammer. He drew some blood, which struck Len as a bit strange, but he figured the people there probably did more extensive check-ups.

"It was nice that I happened to come across you today, otherwise my day would have been far too bland and uninteresting." Rin stated. Len cocked an eyebrow and she continued, "Both my parents are out the entire weekend for a business trip and all my friends are going on a school trip to Kyoto which I couldn't go on because I forgot about the form, so I'm pretty much all alone."

A crazy idea suddenly popped into Len's mind and he opened his mouth before he had a chance to think it through. "Well if you don't have anything to do, my friends and I are going to the movies and maybe you could tag along?"

"Really? I'd love to, thank you for inviting me." She happily replied. Len immediately slapped himself, that was completely made up and he did NOT have the money to go to a movie theater and neither did any of his friends. Yet if he could somehow pull it off, he would get to know Rin a lot better and maybe even go on a real date…? _No no no, it's too soon to be thinking like that. She is a total stranger. A cute and sweet and pretty stranger my age._

"Heh, no problem…" He smiled twitched. What was he going to do?

* * *

"Len, you really are an idiot." Meiko whacked her forehead with her hand. She was the person Len always came to for crafting schemes and plots, her plans usually worked well…when she wasn't too drunk.

"Help me, I beg you!" Len dropped to his knees and bowed. Sweat dropping, Meiko pulled him up and scratched the back of her head.

"Ok, ok, I'll help you. Alright, I have an idea but you still need the money to go." She said. Len sighed, this was not going to be a fun thing to ask his mother for. Luckily for him, Lily had just received a fat stack of tips from some loyal customers and was in an unnaturally good mood. With some persuasion and compliments piled onto her, she agreed and gave Len some money with extra for snacks.

Len, Meiko, Gumi, and Gakupo stood outside and at 6:30, Rin arrived right on time at the theater in the cheapest car she had (a BMW) to attract less attention. It did not work. Len felt a surge of protectiveness when nearly all the strangers on the street stared at her, wishing they could hurry up and go in.

"Hey, Rin! Glad you could make it." Len greeted her casually.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. Hey that purple haired guy looks kind of familiar…" Rin pondered. Gakupo gulped and hid behind Gumi, who was a head shorter than him.

Meiko's plan was now set in motion. Gumi and Gakupo suddenly found the other movie options to be highly interesting.

"Guys, can we go see Honey Kisses instead? I really want to go to that." Gumi pleaded. Everyone except Rin rapidly shook their heads and shouted "No way!"

Gumi looked deeply angered and she scoffed, "Fine, I will go see it myself!" Without another second to spare she ran inside and quickly hid in the bathroom.

"What the, if we're doing that than I'm going to go to Darkness Rising! See ya!" Gakupo dashed in and ducked behind a giant cardboard cutout of Hariya Potuse.

"Well I guess it's just us three then." Len cut in. As he and Rin went forward to purchase tickets, Meiko lingered behind until they turned to look at her. Meiko clutched her stomach in pain and doubled over, groaning.

"Oh god, my stomach feels like crap! You guys go on without me, I must have had too much to drink." She moaned.

"There's a bathroom right inside-" Rin began.

Meiko cut her off, "No I can't, I'm leaving."

"No seriously, you can go in and-" Rin tried again.

"I'M HAVING A BABY!" Meiko screamed and ran off.

"That was weird, shall we go since we already purchased the tickets?" Len grinned as innocently as he could and led an extremely confused Rin into the theater. They had chosen to watch the newest horror movie, Alice Human Sacrifice. Rin was not too fond of blood and gore, but decided to go anyway since it was getting so many reviews.

They got some popcorn but no drinks and sat near the back with a good viewing angle. The movie began with an eerie voice and a creepy looking storybook popping up. To Len, it seemed like an extremely dark Alice in Wonderland.

The first Alice wasn't too scary for Len, but when she slashed with her sword and blood splattered the screen, Rin gave a small yelp and grabbed Len's arm. The second Alice was disturbing to both of them, and Len nearly puked when a rotting skeleton pulled the man away. The third Alice was perfectly fine until her reflection turned and cackled, sending Rin shrieking into Len's shoulder. But it was the last one that haunted them the most. The blond siblings moved with childlike innocence and began to go mad in the world, losing both their way and their minds in the crazy wonderland.

When the movie ended, the silence was bone-chilling. The viewers exited slightly shaking with wide, terrified eyes. Rin knew she was going to have nightmares about becoming the next Alice, but she was strangely happy at the same time. Although Alice Human Sacrifice was petrifying, it was fun to watch it with Len whom she felt oddly safe with.

"Scary, huh?" Len commented.

"Very, I'm thankful I watched it with you instead of on my own. I would have been scared half to death without you." Rin sheepishly murmured with a faint blush dusting her cheekbones.

"Do…do you think we could…um…hang out again sometime?" Len wiped his sweaty hands on his jean apprehensively.

"I would like that. Hold on." Rin reached into her purse and took out a small slip of paper and a pen. "Here's my phone number, text me sometime okay?"

"Y-Yeah!" Len hastily grabbed the paper and carefully stored it in his jacket. He smiled on the outside but partied like a monkey on the inside.

* * *

It was 10:45pm and Len anxiously fidgeted with his phone, tracing his finger over the neat numbers Rin had written, trying to think of what to say. On a whim, he typed in her number and sent a quick message.

**To: Rin**

**From: Len**

**Are you up?**

Within seconds he received a reply.

_**I am now :( **_

**Oh gosh I'm sorry**

_**Lol just kidding, I like staying up :)**_

**So how's life over at the mansion?**

_**Meh, not much change. It's just me and my parents.**_

**And three hundred thousand servants**

_**Well I don't converse with them like I am with you right now. So what's your family like?**_

**Dirt poor. I have a step-sister and brother, it's just my mom raising us**

_**I wish I had siblings**_

**Trust me you don't**

_**It's lonely here :(**_

**Not anymore ;)**

_**Got that right, thx for texting me**_

**I don't really have anyone to talk to either other than you**

_**Two lonely teens meeting each other huh?**_

**Maybe it's fate**

_**Maybe we were destined to meet**_

**Like a fairytale**

_**I love fairytales, call it silly but I have this dream to be a princess**_

**Aren't you already one?**

_**Not really, just a cooped up and sheltered rich girl with no freedom**_

**Well I don't see what's missing**

_**A prince charming**_

**I'm sure you will meet him someday**

_**I think so too**_

**Goodnight, Rin**

_**Goodnight, Len :) **_

Grinning from ear to ear, Len flopped onto his bed and went to sleep.


	3. Preparations

A/N: Thanks for the quick feedback ! Oh and I semi-based their school uniforms on the ones in Clannad and Guilty Crown, minus the yellow blazers/sweaters and red blazers instead of black for the boys. Hmm…more fluff or seriousness? Oh and I worked on this over the course of a few days instead of doing it all in an afternoon, so it's longer and hopefully better written.

* * *

Rin woke up feeling happier and more energized than usual. She had practically jumped for joy when a text from Len came last night, though she actually had been asleep. That night Rin dreamt that she was trapped in the wonderland from Alice Human Sacrifice, but within seconds she had been whisked away by a blond prince to escape the terrors and talk in his castle. Although she did not who that prince was or remember their conversation, Rin remembered being bubbly and elated in her wonderful dream.

There was a knock on the door and Rin's personal maid, IA, came in with a small blue letter.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I have a letter from your mother from France. I also have a message from your father, he wants you to attend a charity ball Friday evening in his place. And I figured since I was coming here anyways, I would bring up your breakfast for you." IA said, setting the letter and tray on the nightstand.

"Thank you, Haku." Rin replied. IA bowed and promptly exited to give her some privacy. Rin biological mother, Aoki Lapis, was a famous fashion designer working in France. She and Leon divorced because of her constant, lengthy business trips and Leon's affair with his ex-girlfriend Lola. The last time Rin had seen Aoki was two years ago when she was twelve.

Sighing, Rin opened up the letter and turned on the light to read it better.

_**Dear Rin-chan,**_

_**I want you to know that I will be returning to Japan in two weeks to see you, precious daughter. I'm sure that you've grown into a young adult in these few years and I won't be surprised if you have a boyfriend by now, since you mainly take on me other than that yellow hair of your father. Is it Mikuo? Or maybe even Kaito though I doubt it. Please tell me it's Mikuo, that boy is just perfect for you. The Hatsune's are one of our largest business partners and a relationship between the two of you could be just what we need. I know I've been spending a lot of time on my other job, but I still care and work with your father's company. A grand banquet shall be held in my honor of course, and please feel free to bring anyone you want. I also have a special surprise for you!**_

_**Love,**_

_**Aoki Lapis, your loving mother**_

Rin groaned, it was no secret that both her parents wanted her and Mikuo together, her friendship with Miku was practically staged to happen. Honestly, he was more of an older brother to her than a potential love interest and the thought of being with him just felt strangely wrong. She would just go by herself and explain that she had no boyfriend.

A tiny voice in the back of her head said _What about Len?_. Rin quickly blushed and hid her face in her pillow before remembering that she was alone. Tucking the letter in her drawer, Rin took the tray of food onto her lap.

Today she was having an English muffin with jam, organic fruit, an omelet, and a glass of almond milk. Everything had been meticulously prepared by their chef, who threw away waffles with syrup drizzled unevenly onto it.

Rin daintily dug in, wishing she didn't have to always eat alone.

* * *

"Len. Len. Len. Len! LEN!" Neru yelled, a tick forming on her head.

Startled, Len's head snapped up. He had been day-dreaming about Rin and their movie "date". "Yeah? Sorry."

"Pass me the maple syrup." Neru and her siblings were munching on leftover pancakes Lily brought home from the restaurant she worked in.

"We're out. Maple syrup is too expensive to keep buying when we don't even eat it that often." Len explained. Oliver looked saddened by the news, pushing his plate away.

"Maybe we shouldn't eat so much and spend so much money on food. I should get a job so it isn't just mom doing all the work." Oliver mused.

"Don't say that and eat. Besides, if someone's getting a job it should be Neru. Quit sitting on your lazy ass all day texting and do something, since you're the oldest." Len quipped.

Neru furiously flushed. "For your information, I just landed one at the mall! I start on Monday so quit your stupid yapping. And I do not text all day!" As if contradicting what she just said, Neru pulled out her phone to send a quick reply to her friend, Teto.

Len rolled his eyes and moved ruffle Oliver's feathery hair, cracking a smile when he pouted. He scarfed down the rest of his pancakes and stood up to wash his plate, cringing when ice cold water splashed over his hands. The hot water ran out that morning in the middle of Neru's shower and her shrieks alerted the whole block. Paying bills was getting harder and harder for them and Lily resorted to her 'services' again that day.

_I should get a job too, I'm certainly old enough compared to Oliver._ Len decided to see if the local supermarket was hiring so they could get a discount on food. To his disappointment, there was a long line of teenagers and people in their twenties already waiting. The recent stock market crash had been hard on all of them.

On his way back home, he bumped into his friends. Gumi, Meiko, and Gakupo were talking but stopped when they saw him. Like a ring of sharks, they surrounded the poor boy.

"Tell us everything about your date with Rin." Meiko half-shouted, playing the role of a drunk interrogator.

"Um… we watched Alice Human Sacrifice." Len lamely offered.

"Well no duh! What happened, was she all cute and hid in your arms?" Gumi eagerly asked.

"Sort of, yeah." He replied.

"Did you get her number?" Gakupo thought he would focus on the important things.

"Uh huh." Len boasted, crossing his arms.

"Awesome! We are having a victory party, now! To the bar, people!" Meiko grabbed Len by the arm and strode away.

"But we're all underage!" Gumi protested.

"The bartender is my friend, he'll be cool with it." Meiko responded.

Len, Gumi, and Gakupo awkwardly sat on barstools drinking their virgin cuba libres while Meiko chugged down shots of whiskey. Rather than being friends with the bartender, Meiko simply had a fake ID which he accepted. Len suspected that she was a little more than a friend to him considering they were let in as her 'plus one'.

* * *

The next few days flew by for Rin, who was awfully lonely without her friends. The school trip lasted nearly a week and they wouldn't be coming back until Saturday night. The only people actually at school were just her and a few others who had also forgotten their forms. Of her entire day, the only highlight was texting Miku and Luka about the trip and of course, Len.

They planned to meet at the gate every other day to talk and hang out. For an entire hour, they chatted about their lives and joked with each other about everything. Rin found herself telling him secret after secret and sharing embarrassing stories she thought she would never tell anyone about. They criticized the movie and laughed about their crazy friends, and for a moment she forgot about the metal bars separating them

So far, no one except her and her chauffer knew about Len. Thank god her parents were out, because it would have been tiring to come up with excuses to leave the house and go see him.

* * *

Len took out his phone and smiled when he remembered his conversation with Rin. Considering there was nothing else to do other than homework on a Friday, and Len suffered from severe procrastination, he decided to call her. She picked up almost immediately, as if she had been expecting one.

_**Hello?**_

**Hey Rin, it's me.**

_**Hey, Len. What is it?**_

**Um…I know this is a little soon but I don't have much to do and I was wondering if you wanted to go out or something.**

_**Oh wow that'd be great…except I have to start getting ready for a charity ball today.**_

**A ball? Does it take that long to get ready?**

_**You have no idea, it's hours of dress shopping and overseeing all the food and decorations. Just plain make-up takes an hour.**_

**That sucks. Well, I guess you should start, so bye for now.**

_**Wait!**_

**What?**

_**Well my parents aren't here so…maybe you want to go with me so I won't be bored?**_

**Seriously? I don't know if you want me to come though, I don't exactly have that proper etiquette or a suit.**

_**It's okay, you can come with me to go shopping and I will teach you the basics. Please, Len. I know this is crazy to ask someone I've gone out with like, once, but I really want some company for a change.**_

**Are your friends going? Oh right, school trip. Well I suppose…but I don't have any money.**

_**Don't be ridiculous, of course we will pay for everything since you are doing me a favor. I will pick you up in about half an hour!**_

**Wait-**

Rin hung up with a big smile on her face. Finally she would have someone fun and good-looking to spend the long and tedious night with. She could already imagine him in a dashing tuxedo, holding out his hand for a dance. A blush creeped onto her cheeks and Rin squealed with excitement.

* * *

Shopping was so incredibly boring and exhausting that Len did not know how girls actually enjoyed it. For three hours and counting he trailed after Rin through countless stores with prices higher than his house.

Every dress seemed fine and insanely pretty on Rin to him, but she picked out flaws in each one. Either the color didn't compliment her, it was too long or short, too loose or tight, or it highlighted her curves in a negative way. Len was beginning to see a new side of her that did act like, well, a slightly dramatic princess. But she was still the same cute and sweet Rin.

Finally, at a boutique called Heart Kreuz (A/N: please tell me someone got that reference), they stumbled upon what seemed to be the perfect dress. Rin stepped out of the dressing room with pink cheeks, shyly spinning in a small circle and all Len could do was stare like a gaping fish.

The silvery white dress had ruffles on the top and black laced edges, the thin straps went around her neck with a butterfly knot. The silky material seemed to flow with her body, hugging her small waist but expanding slightly when she twirled. Rin was simply put, beautiful.

"What do you think?" Rin softly asked.

"I-It's beautiful and p-perfect and you should get it and wear it because you look good like really good-" Len eloquently spluttered, turning red and fidgeting with his shirt.

"Now for the shoes." Rin announced. The color slowly began to drain from Len's face. But to his surprise she chose one within minutes this time, just simple black high heels with straps. She seemed to be rushing, leaving the store in a hurry.

"I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about time and now we only have an hour left to find you a suit." Rin apologized.

"Hey it's okay. I wouldn't want you to have gone faster, otherwise we might not have found this dress." Len reassured.

As expected, Len had no idea what to do and was utterly bewildered when he was dragged away by a tailor for measurements. It seemed that there were a lot less shops for men, though they were more complete. Len did not want anything too extravagant or expensive, just something simple and comfortable. In the end, he chose a black suit with a black vest, white long-sleeved shirt, a yellow tie, and black shoes. The outfit was not elaborate in any way, but Rin still thought he looked very handsome in it.

"Thank you for agreeing to this." Rin stated. The two of them were riding next to each other in the backseat of her limo, gazing out the windows.

"No problem, I didn't have any plans so I though why not? And to tell you a secret, I kind of wanted the food." Rin burst out laughing when Len told her that, throwing her head back and letting her fair hair hit the seat. Len longed to inch his hand over hers and hesitantly flexed his fingers. Closer, and closer his hand moved until they were less than a centimeter apart. Then Rin, not noticing, lifted her hand to tuck away some stray strands of hair. Len was disappointed and vowed to hold her hand one day.

"So do you want to come home with me or be dropped off at your house?" Rin asked.

"Considering you're in a rush, whichever one is faster." Len said.

* * *

As the vehicle pulled into the Kagamine's large driveway, Len stumbled out and stared in awe. The mansion was massive, modern, and white with breathtaking gardens and fountains. No doubt there was probably a football field sized pool in the back. Just one of the bedrooms could probably fit Len's entire house.

Rin gently pulled on Len's arm, bringing him up the steps to the front door, which was immediately opened by the butler. Their shopping bags were taken by a servant and brought upstairs to Rin's room, which was on the top floor.

"I must check on all the preparation now, why don't you make yourself comfortable in my room until I am finished? It won't be that long." Rin smiled and left to make her way to the grand dining hall.

"Uh, sure. W-Where is that again?" Len glanced around the numerous stairways and rooms, trying to remember which path the servant took.

"Just take the elevator over on the left, top floor at the right wing." Rin called over her shoulder.

"You guys have an elevator…?" Len mumbled while entering the elevator. The panel showed four floors above ground, two below, the basement, and the roof. He pressed the one below the roof, wondering if it was the correct one. When the doors opened, Len wandered around for ages before finagling realizing he was in the wrong wing of the house. With great difficulty he eventually came upon an ornate French door with a tiny, cute bunny princess decoration hanging on the doorknob. Yes, this was definitely Rin's room.

The first thing he noticed was the queen sized, four poster bed and the giant windows next to it. There were two more doors in the room, probably leading to a closet and a bathroom. Everything screamed high class but cute, from the pictures and decorations on the wall to the little vanity table and large desk. A soft rug and some chaise lounge chairs were fashionably placed around the hard wood floors and a silver mirror hung off one of the doors.

He could tell that the laptop, plasma TV, stereo, and keyboard piano were all the best brands and latest editions. Without really much to do without worrying about breaking anything, Len settled down on a comfy chaise and folded his arms over his head. Soon, he began to drift off whilst gazing at the small crystal chandelier mounted on the ceiling.

"Len, Len wake up!" A sweet voice called out, pleasantly awaking Len from a quiet nap. Len opened his eyes and saw Rin, wearing a beautiful yellow and black gown and a black flower in her hair.

"Wow, you look great. But what about the other dress?" Len said while sitting up.

"My dream came true, Len. I'm a princess!" Rin giggled, pulling out a fan to hide her face like the princesses in movies did.

"That's great. Any chance I can be the prince?" Len mischievously flirted, hoping to see her reaction.

"No." Rin murmured.

"Huh?" He responded, confused.

"Unfortunately you're destined to be my servant." She softly explained. At that moment, Len realized that her entire room looked different. All the electronics were gone and the furniture resembled something you would see in one of those old castle tours. A bird cage with two yellow canaries sat in the corner. With a start, he glanced down at his clothes and found that he was dressed in an old-fashioned black coat with a yellow buttoned vest, white gloves, black pants, and one of those weird poofy tie things. He indeed resembled a sort of servant or butler.

"Then…who's the prince?" Len slowly asked, dreading her answer. It was as if her cheerful mask broke, and Rin's face was shadowed with anger and grief.

"He rejected me for some stupid village girl. You killed her for me, remember?" She spat. Suddenly the entire room blurred and swirled into a different scene, like a flashback. Len saw a series of events in a heartbeat, all fast-forwarded and silent.

Rin and a blue-haired man smiled and danced at a party, but he soon walked away to her dismay. Len was at a town picking up groceries when he bumped into a beautiful girl with two extremely long pigtails and blushed. That same girl walked off with the blue-haired man and Rin could be seen crying in her chambers. Tears falling down his face, Len stabbed the girl with a dagger and laid her body to rest by a well. The town he had been in was set on fire and destroyed by the royal army. Angered and vengeful, the blue-haired man and a woman mercenary stood with a mob of citizens ready to start a revolt.

The scene changed again and Len was back in the bedroom with Rin. He stood, staring blankly trying to process the information.

"Wait…but if all that happened…" Len stuck his head out of the window and in the distance, he saw the same woman charging through the streets beside the blue-haired man with thousands following them. He gulped, knowing they were headed for the castle.

"It seems my dream is about to come to an end." Rin sadly smiled. Another series of flashbacks sent Len farther back in time.

Two babies with identical blond hair slept soundly together in harmony. He saw the two of them as children, holding hands as church bells chimed above them. Still children, Rin ran up to Len, who was reading a book, and hugged him from the side. Less than a year later, he was snatched away into a carriage while Rin cried and reached out to him. As time went by, Rin grew into a beautiful royal while Len became little more than a peasant. Then he arrived at the castle and Rin ran up to him, throwing herself into his arms. "I will always protect you." he whispered.

Back in the present, Len's eyes widened. They weren't just friends, he and Rin were TWINS. Rin was currently sitting before a large mirror, examining herself. Len walked up to stand behind her and gasped when two identical faces appeared in the glass.

"You know, one of the things I'm going to miss most is your brioche. Who knew you could cook so well?" Rin stated, faintly remembering a time when Len had served her it as a snack during her afternoon tea. Len remembered it too, and Rin's innocent laugh.

He clenched his hands with a new resolve, no one was going to harm her in any way. At least, not when he could do something about it. Len pulled off his clothes one by one, leaving only his underwear. Rin stared, wondering if he had gone mad.

"Here, I'll lend you my clothes. Wear them and start escaping immediately." Len handed her the pile of clothes and pulled a cloak out of the closet.

"What? Len? No!" Rin trembled, tears escaping from her eyes.

"It's fine, we're twins after all. Nobody will be able to tell the difference." Len gently wiped away a tear with his finger and in a flash, they switched places. He pulled off his ponytail and with the dress, he looked exactly like Rin. Len embraced her one last time then pushed her away, watching as she ran off in his clothes and a cloak.

With a few steps his throat was met with a blade wielded by the swordswoman. Fear rose up inside of him as a few drops of blood escaped. Then he thought of her smile, her laugh, her love and trust in him. He was determined to protect that and the fear instantly vanished.

Rin stood in the small house that once belonged to Len. How could fate be so cruel as to make one of them a princess and the other just a servant? The memories were not all happy, Rin could be quite cruel and selfish at times yet it was Len who always took all the blame. He did everything for her, saw through her imperfections and was loyal to her through it all. A single yellow leaf floated in through the window. She caught it with her hand and stared. The execution should begin any minute now.

She ran out of the house and pushed through the crowd, panicking as she made her way to the front. There stood Len, bravely taking the fall for her actions.

Len kept his knees from shaking as his head was lowered onto the guillotine block. He saw Rin sprinting up right in front of him with a mixture of emotions on her face. Using the last of his courage, he managed a smile and uttered one of her favorite phrases.

The blade came crashing down on his neck and Rin screamed, "LEN!", tears overflowing her eyes.

"Len!"

"Len!"

"Len!"

Len opened his eyes and rubbed his aching neck. He stared at Rin's smiling face and leapt up from the chair. Everything was back to normal, the clothes, the setting, and the time period. _So it was just a dream._

"We only have half an hour before the ball starts, get dressed!" Rin said, and tossed him his suit. She was already in her white dress with a light dusting of make-up over her already perfect skin and some light pink lip gloss.

"I was sleeping that long?" Len wondered.

"Yeah, was it a nightmare? You kept moving and muttering." She replied.

"Well…not really I suppose." He thought of the strange dream, suddenly glad it wasn't real.

"Good. That door leads to the bathroom, go ahead and change." Rin glanced at the clock and pushed him in. The door closed all the way except for an inch, which Len didn't notice. He stripped of his jacket, t-shirt, and jeans and spent a second looking at himself in the mirror.

In his dream, he was able to pass as a girl. But that wasn't actually true, was it? He stared at his reflection, wondering if he really was that much of a shota. His body was on the thin side and fair-skinned, but it was clearly a guy's with the slight (very slight) swell of his biceps and somewhat defined muscles. Thanks to puberty, his shoulders were growing broader and he stood a good two inches over his sister. Still, it was highly possible for him to fit in a dress. Feeling self-conscious, Len quickly pulled on his suit.

* * *

Rin couldn't help but take a swift peek at the crack between the door and the doorframe. Len was standing there in nothing but his boxers with little bananas on them. Even so, he was incredibly hot. Her face grew hot and she backed up before her nose started bleeding. He suddenly pulled on the suit and Rin grew worried that he saw her.

Len opened the door and patted down his hair a bit, noticing that Rin was not wearing her bow. Her face was oddly flushed and she seemed a bit dazed. Concerned, he walked up to her and placed his face right in front of hers.

"E-Eh?" Rin spluttered, and her blush increased tenfold.

Len slapped his hand on her forehead and frowned, "You're warm, do you feel okay?"

"F-Fine." Rin calmed her racing heart, _so that's what he was doing. _

"Don't push yourself if you're sick." Len ordered, still not convinced. When his step-brother Oliver was younger, he had been in a car accident because he was feverish and wandered into the street. Since then, he always had to wear bandages and Len kept a better eye out for those kinds of things.

"I'm not, I was just…seeing how long I could hold my breath…fifty two seconds!" Rin nervously lied, mentally slapping herself for coming up with such a phony excuse. Len, however, seemed to buy it and he backed away.

"Oh alright then. Hey I never got to ask you, what is a charity ball?" Len inquired.

"Pretty much we invite a bunch of rich people over and ask them to donate money to some charity so we seem like good people. I think it's a horrible reason, but we usually raise hundreds of thousands." She said.

"Wow, that's a lot." He stated.

"Psshh, some of the people who come would spend a million on an antique bottle of wine." Rin rolled her eyes, not seeing the look of amazement on Len's face.

"My mom barely affords to buy twenty dollar bottles of wine." Len mumbled.

"Um…It looks like the guest are arriving, I should go downstairs. Come on!" Rin fidgeted awkwardly and changed the subject, heading out the room. She wasn't sure how to reply to that, say sorry?

According to Rin, they should take the elevator to the second floor but walk down the large flight of stairs down to the foyer to make an entrance. Once she, the host, arrived, everyone migrated to the ballroom. She instructed Len not to come with her since no one knew who he was and she didn't want too many assumptions to be made. Rin took a deep breath, she was about to host this entire thing all by herself.


	4. The Ball

A/N: I enjoy randomly switching POV's. This chapter ended up becoming a mix of Canterella and Adolescence, I just know those songs so well that I couldn't help but make the dance about them. Is this story moving too quickly? I feel like it is, but I am awful at dragging things out.

* * *

Len nervously went into the Kagamine's grand ballroom and looked around, not sure what to do. There was food at a buffet counter and servants walked around with drinks. Rin was at the center, greeting people and talking about the charity. He went over to the buffet counter and did not recognize a single platter, did these people not know what a hot dog was or something?

Musicians the far corner began to play a classical piece, Mozart or Pachelbel. Len wanted to dance with Rin, but she was currently with a boy with black hair and amber eyes. A pang of jealously rang through him when he saw how well they were getting along.

He took a random drink from a server passing by and took a sip. The sweet, intoxicating drink reminded him of wine but the liquid was crystal clear. He drank some more.

Len's heart began to race and he could feel his face heating up. Strangely enough, he was positive it wasn't because of illness. His vision seemed to blur and focus at random places, particularly at Rin. He stumbled forward and longed for their bodies to touch. An unsettling spike ran through his lower body and he shivered from the new emotions stirring in his body. The room was too hot, his clothes were too hot, beads of sweat dripped from his flushed face and he gripped the counter for support.

Rin…was she always this alluring? His eyes independently roamed her body and he trembled at her bare skin showing in quite a lot of places thanks to the dress. Who was that boy standing too close to her? Len's face contorted and a fresh surge of anger mixed in with the fiery passion rising in him. He gulped down the entire glass and started towards them.

"Really? You'd be willing to donate 70 thousand to our cause? Thank you very much, Mr. Kagene. This means a lot to us." Rin plastered the biggest smile she could fake onto her face and inwardly groaned. _One down, a hundred more to go._

"Rei is fine considering how close we are in age. How old are you again?" Rei asked.

"Fourteen." Rin answered curtly.

"Ah, my sister and I are sixteen. Not much of an age gap you know…" Rei devilishly grinned and whispered in her ear.

"O-Oh, is that so? Where is your sister, I would love to meet her." Rin uncomfortably pushed away a little.

Rei frowned, "Dance with me some more." He pulled her closer until their chests touched, ignoring her silent protests.

"I really don't want to…" She whimpered.

"I know you do, why don't we go somewhere private?" At this point, Rei had shoved his face right in front of hers.

"Um…I…I have a boyfriend! He's right…" Rin pointed at Len, trailing off when she saw him making his way towards them. For a second she was worried that her bluff would be blown, but then she noticed something wrong. Len swayed slightly and his face was flushed and sweaty, as if he had a fever. Surprised, Rei broke away from her and sized up the boy.

"Len, are you alright?" Rin asked, alarmed. Len looked at her, then punched Rei in the face, appearing indifferent when blood spurted from the other boy's nose. A girl with black hair ran up to them, seething with rage. She helped Rei up and slapped Len.

"What do you think you are doing to my brother?! Get away from him you freaks!" The girl shouted, and pulled Rei out of the room. Rin glared at Len, "Thanks to you the fundraiser just lost five figures!"

Len did not reply, there was beast in his chest waiting to lash out. He lost control of his arms and punched Rin in the stomach, effectively knocking her out. Rin's body crumpled like doll and fell backwards. He lifted her up in his arms and dashed out, throwing open random doors until he found a bedroom. Placing her on the bed, he pounced on top of her and began loosening his tie. The sexual urges running through him grew and he rapidly undid the buttons on his vest. His vision swam but his hands found his shirt and he yanked it open.

She was so peaceful, blissfully unconscious without any idea what he was about to do. Len couldn't think about anything except her. At some point he could not even remember his own name or what was going on. Right now, it was just their bodies pressed together on a bed.

Rin's eyes snapped open and she woke up in a fright. There was something warm on top of her. Looking up, she saw Len with his tie undone and shirt halfway unbuttoned staring hungrily down at her. His hair was messy and his touch was burning hot. His eyes were an electric blue as he lowered his head down on her neck and began sucking it. She quickly shoved him off, but he relentlessly came down on top of her.

He was extremely hot in this position, but every bone in her body screamed danger. Deep down, she felt an urge to let him kiss her and continue. Pushing that away, she shrieked and fought against him. he caught her flailing hands and pinned them down on the bed with his superior strength. His lips came closer and closer, she automatically closed her eyes and waited for the impact.

There was a frenzied elatedness growing in Len that multiplied every time he touched her. Her screams and pushes were ignored by his brain and all he could think about was ripping off her clothes. Their lips grew close and he excitedly leaned in to kiss her, then stopped. He stared at her serene face riddled with fear and confusions and her heart pounding with adrenaline. She was terrified and fighting because of him. There was a small part of him that was enjoying this newfound power, but slowly his feverish buzz began to die down.

He suddenly became aware of his surroundings and what he was doing. He was practically _raping_ her. What was he _doing? _Horrified by his own actions, Len backed away and shakily slid off Rin and the bed. He couldn't bear to look at her. Turning on his shoe, Len slowly opened the door and bolted out.

Not feeling anything, Rin opened her eyes and saw Len running out with a regret filled expression on his face. Blinking a few times and taking some deep breaths to calm herself down, she sat up and massaged her aching stomach. Something just wasn't adding up, Len was not the type of person to do things like this. He seemed feverish, maybe he was only delirious. In any case, Rin had to go after him.

When Rin exited the room, she was immediately met by many of her family's friends. They were all proposing donation amounts and before she knew it, Rin had spent nearly an hour talking with the guests and accepting checks. At this point she did not even know where Len had run off to or if he had left.

She circulated around the house, searching for him and calling his name. After over twenty minutes she finally found him on the balcony, leaning on the railing and gazing at the sky. Wordlessly, Rin came up next to him.

"I'm sorry." Len said. Rin remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to me. For some reason I got really, well, horny and it felt like my body was acting on its own and my mind wasn't working. Maybe I was drunk or sick or something, but I really can't explain why I did what I did." He continued.

"Something you ate?" Rin skeptically asked.

"No, but I drank something. A clear liquid one of the servers was passing around, I started acting like that after drinking it." Len knew he sounded ridiculous and he desperately wished he had a better excuse.

"You probably just got drunk. Whatever. It's fine." Rin muttered. He seemed back to normal, the flush in his face gone. The cool evening air blew past them and the moon could be seen, large and round in the night sky. Len instinctively took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He left the balcony to sit inside, watching as the guests began to leave one by one.

Rin quietly followed and sat down beside him. The ballroom was nearly empty, save the musicians who were already packing up their instruments to leave.

"Did you raise a lot of money?" Len said aloud.

"Yeah. I never really got to dance though." Rin replied.

"Me neither." He agreed.

"How about now?" She stood up, brushing off her dress and shrugging Len's jacket off her.

"What?" Len inquired.

"Let's dance." Rin pulled Len to his feet and dragged him into the center of the ballroom. They clumsily attempted a waltz, but Len's moves were uncoordinated and Rin's feet hurt from the high heels. She was about to ask for a song to be played the but the musicians were nowhere to be seen.

"Wait." Rin pulled off her shoes and tossed them aside. Len raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything. She slipped her hands under his shoulders to grip his back and Len wrapped his arms around her waist. They slow danced, embracing each other. Their eyes met and they stayed in the position, forgetting about time. She could feel the warmth emitting from his body and the stability he provided. They had the entire room to themselves now to spend an eternity in.

The grandfather clock gave a loud ring, indicating that it was now midnight. The sound was almost like an alarm clock waking them up from a distant dream. Exhaustion settled in and Rin sighed.

"I should probably sleep by now. Walk me to my room?" Rin reluctantly drew her arms away from him and the two of them headed upstairs to her room. Without bothering to change, Rin got in bed. She realized that it might be a long time before she could see him again, with her parents coming home and the school year coming to a climax of work and extracurriculars.

He gently tucked her in and stood up, "Goodnight." Len muttered and reached for the doorknob. He opened the door and was about to leave, but Rin suddenly panicked and grasped his wrist. She did not want him to leave just yet.

Surprised, Len smiled and kissed her finger. At that moment, an urge to run ran through his spine and he reached to turn off the lights.

"I don't want to yet!" Rin shouted, and her hand hit the pillow. Len only looked at her, as if wondering why.

"I…" Rin started, "I'm afraid of monsters."

"Isn't that a bit childish?" Len chuckled. Embarrassed and desperate, Rin felt tears pricking in her eyes and stared at him.

"Our time together is over, isn't it?" She cried. Rin sniffled and broke away from him. Len searched for a response in her eyes, mutually gazing. He wanted to stroke her hair, but held back from touching it. Their embrace had ended and he was not her knight.

"Text me if you get lonely." He whispered, and kissed her on the head. Len left her room and locked the door, then began the long walk back to his house. More security features were being added to the gate and his new job at the burger grill would start soon. Finding time to be with her would be difficult from now on, but Len was prepared to wait for another date with her.


End file.
